Sunday, January 06, 2008

Arctic Sushi!

Well actually, it was just my attempt at a California roll. It turned out pretty good for my first try! I saw a post from Open Head Space last year and decided that I needed to give it a try. There wasn't much in town for filling so I only had cucumber. But the best part was the smoked char that I put in it! We smoked and froze a bunch of fish this summer and that was the last of our char. I definitely need to get a better knife for cutting though!

I've always wondered what char would taste like in kimbab (the Korean name for these) This is standard lunchbox fare in Korea--let me give you a couple tips about getting it to hold together.1) Use short-grained Calrose rice--it sticks and slices better.2) Spread the rice only on the lower 2/3 of the sheet.3)When using fish, it helps to put thin leafs (we use perilla, but I think others would work well) under the fillings to keep it from "mushing" with the rice. Then lay out the vegetables (julienned carrots, cucumbers, and pickles would all be nice options), and finally add the fish on top. so that it will end up in the middle. Many Korean shops add a tiny bit of mayonnaise to the fish.4) When rolling the kimbab, start at the bottom and roll up only to the edge of the rice. If made perfectly, the rice should completely envelop the fillings just once. Squeeze the roll firmly before rolling completely. The seeweed sheet should overlap by 1/3.5) With a pastry brush, brush sesame oil over the overlapped seaweed to keep it stuck down. This will ensure that your roll will not fall apart when it is sliced.6)Use a SHARP knife to slice. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds to serve.

Hope that helps! Also, remember that there is no rule that California rolls have to have fish--in Korea, we put kimchi, minced beef, just veggies, and even cheese in ours. It is basically the Asian "sandwich"! I would just about kill to have Caribou kimbab--I think it would be awesome!